Fredericksburg Herb Farm Burger

The great state of Texas is the nation's biggest cattle ranching state, so it's not surprising that we found this week's burger of the week while on a drive through Texas Hill Country. Aside from cattle, the Hill Country is developing into a serious wine and dining destination—according to some travel studies, Hill Country is the fastest-growing wine tourism destination in the U.S., just behind the more famed Napa Valley.

The source for today's burger, The Fredericksburg Herb Farm, is a functioning herb farm founded in 1882. While smaller than it was back then, there still are flats and fields of fragrant herbs, and a spa that makes use of herbal remedies. But we were there for the burger.

The restaurant makes use of the surrounding herbs. Part of what makes this burger such a standout is that flecks of parsley, basil, and chives are mixed in with the ground meat. The beefy burger is thick, moist, and cooked to a perfect char. It's then nestled into a house-made gouda peppercorn bun, along with baby lettuce from the farm, thinly shaved red onions, and some melted American cheese. And two pieces of thick house-smoked bacon. But it doesn't stop there. The final touches are some Dijon mustard spread on the bottom bun and a roasted garlic mayonnaise slathered on the top bun.It all adds up to Texas-style maximum burger happiness.

Got a candidate for burger of the week? Let us know in the comments.